{{for|a complete overview of all Taurus models|Ford Taurus}} {{Use American English|date=October 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox automobile | name = Ford Taurus (second generation) | image = Ford Taurus -- 07-09-2009.jpg | manufacturer = [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] | aka = | production = August 1991–June 16, 1995 | assembly = [[Atlanta Assembly]], [[Hapeville, Georgia]], [[United States]]<br /> [[Chicago Assembly]], [[Chicago, Illinois]], [[United States]] | designer = [[Jack Telnack]] (1988) | class = [[Mid-size car]] | body_style = 4-door [[sedan (automobile)|sedan]]<br/>5-door [[station wagon]] | layout = [[FF layout]] | platform = [[Ford DN5 platform]] | related = [[Mercury Sable]]<br />[[Lincoln Continental]]<br />[[Ford Windstar]] | engine = 3.0 L [[sequential fuel injection|SFI]] ''[[Ford Vulcan V6 engine|Vulcan]]'' [[V6 engine|V6]]<br />3.8 L ''[[Ford Essex V6 engine (Canadian)|Essex]]'' V6 | transmission = 4-speed [[automatic transmission|automatic]] | wheelbase = {{convert|106.0|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} | length = Sedan: {{convert|192.0|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}<br />Station wagon: {{convert|193.1|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} | width = {{convert|71.2|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} | height = Sedan: {{convert|54.1|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}–{{convert|55.4|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}<br />Station wagon: {{convert|55.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|3118|lb|kg||abbr=on}}–{{convert|3472|lb|kg||abbr=on}} | predecessor = [[Ford Taurus (first generation)]] | successor = [[Ford Taurus (third generation)]] | model_years = 1992–1995 }}
The '''second-generation Ford Taurus''' is a [[mid-size car]] that was produced by [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] for the 1992-1995 [[model years]], having entered production in 1991. It has [[sedan (car)|sedan]] and [[station wagon]] variants and is the second out of six generations of the [[Ford Taurus]]. The second-generation Taurus shared all of its mechanical parts with the [[Ford Taurus (first generation)|first-generation Taurus]], with a completely revised exterior and interior strongly resembling the first-generation Taurus.<ref name = "TCCA" />{{contradictory inline|date= October 2025 |reason= So it's completely revised and yet also strongly resembles the first-generation model?}}{{clarify|date= October 2025|reason= Is this sentence supposed to say that the interior strongly resembles the first generation and the exterior is completely revised, or is it saying that both were completely revised but also strongly resemble the first-generation model? The placement of the comma in the previous version implied the latter, but also the previous version of the article didn't make much grammatical sense, so this needs to be clarified.}} The wagon model, from the B-pillar to the rear of the car, carried over from the first generation. Production of the second generation reached 410,000 in its first year, becoming the best-selling car in the United States.<ref name="det">{{Cite news | url = http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0504/19/C01-154989.htm | last = Mayne | first = Eric | date = 2005-04-19 | publisher = [[Detroit News]] | title = End of Ford Taurus closes era | access-date = 2006-05-16 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120730140903/http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0504/19/C01-154989.htm | archive-date = 2012-07-30 }} </ref> It would hold this title until 1995, when it was superseded by the [[Ford Taurus (third generation)|third generation]].<ref name="bestselling">{{Cite web |last=DiPetro |first=John |date=2003-04-18 |publisher=Edmunds |url=http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=46007 |title=Inside Line: Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable |access-date=2006-05-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615011127/http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId%3D46007 |archive-date=2006-06-15 }}</ref>
==Overview==
=== Exterior === The exterior of the second generation was completely redesigned from the first generation. Its length was increased by a few inches, and it was a couple of hundred pounds heavier, and had a more rounded roofline.<ref name="TCCA">{{cite web|url=http://www.taurusclub.com/encyclopedia/G2/index.html |title=Taurus/Sable Sporrte's Guide: Second Generation (1992-1995) |publisher=Taurus Car Club of America |access-date=2008-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411114007/http://www.taurusclub.com/encyclopedia/G2/index.html |archive-date=2008-04-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Every body panel, save for the doors, was redesigned. However, many of the redesigned components closely resembled that of the previous generation, leading many to falsely believe that this generation is just a facelift of the previous generation.<ref name = "bestselling" />
The front nose was redesigned with slimmer [[headlight]]s, while retaining the first generation's "bottom breather" nose, albeit in a more aerodynamically efficient design that flowed into the front bumper. In the rear, it received new taillights that closely resembled those of the previous generation, as well as an entirely new rear clip. The trunk was also redesigned, with a [[Spoiler (automotive)|spoiler]] being integrated into the trunk lid's design to make the car more aerodynamically efficient.<ref name = "TCCA" /> [[File:1992 Ford Taurus GL Sedan, front right, 02-06-2023.jpg|thumb|left|1992 Taurus GL with grey bumpers and side trim. For 1993, the aforementioned parts became color keyed.]] Also with this generation, each model of Taurus received different exterior trim. The lowest level Taurus L had light grey plastic mirrors and window trim, while the bumpers and side trim were also light grey. The GL, the mid priced model, got chrome window trim and body color mirrors, while still retaining the grey bumpers and side trim. The top-of-the-line LX model had its bumpers color keyed, as well as having the grey side trim replaced with color keyed body cladding. 1992 L and GL models (and the Mercury Sable GS) could also be ordered with a two-tone paint job, in which instead of being grey, the bumpers and side trim were painted a slightly darker shade of the vehicle's body color.<ref name = "TCCA" /> To cut costs, this was discontinued for the 1993 model year, as all models received color-matched trim and bumpers from that year onward.<ref name = "TCCA" />
===Interior=== [[File:95taurusdash.jpg|thumb|left|1995 Ford Taurus GL Interior]] The interior was also completely redesigned for 1992. The Taurus received a new dashboard that, like the previous generation, was designed to be user friendly.<ref name = "bestselling" /> Like the previous generation, it had all of the vehicle's main controls located near the left side of the dash, to be within the easy reach of the driver. Also like the previous generation, all of the controls were designed to be recognizable by touch, and to be operated by the driver without taking their eyes off the road.<ref name = "bestselling" /> The new dash also contained three buttons to the right of the gauge cluster that allowed the driver to operate the radio without taking their eyes off the road. The radio was also redesigned, while the rest of the lower dash was carried over from the previous generation, as was the steering wheel.<ref name = "TCCA" /> The new dash was also designed to contain a passenger's side airbag, a first of its kind.<ref name = "bestselling" /> It was optional in 1992 models and became standard in 1993, making the Taurus the first car of its kind to have dual front airbags.<ref name = "bestselling" />
The seats and door panels were also redesigned. The new door panels contained integrated armrests, with the controls for the power windows and locks mounted flat on its frontal part, allowing the driver to operate them without moving their arm. These switches, along with all of the main controls, would become illuminated when the headlights were turned on, allowing the driver to easily see them at night.
Unlike the first generation, the interior was not as customizable in the second generation, and many options that were previously available were cut for 1992. The second generation now used only a single seat design shared with all models (the first generation LX got its own unique seat design), and was only available in two configurations; with a front bench seat and a column mounted shifter, or with front bucket seats and a center console with a floor mounted shifter. The console was a carryover from the first generation, although it was redesigned for 1993. The station wagon variant included dual fold-down rear-facing seats in the back.
=== Production figures === {| class="wikitable" |+Ford Taurus Production Figures<ref>{{Cite book |last=Flammang |first=James M. |title=Standard catalog of American cars, 1976-1999 |date=1999 |publisher=Krause Publications |others=Ron Kowalke |isbn=0-87341-755-0 |edition=3rd |location=Iola, WI |oclc=43301709}}</ref> ! !Sedan !Wagon !Yearly Total |- |'''1992''' |274,289 |67,828 |342,117 |- |'''1993''' |350,802 |76,502 |427,304 |- |'''1994''' |288,737 |55,135 |343,872 |- |'''1995''' |345,244 |50,494 |395,738 |- !Total !1,259,072 !249,959 !<u>1,509,031</u> |}
===Models and engines=== {{main|List of Ford Taurus models#Second generation|l1=List of second-generation Ford Taurus models}} [[File:1992 Ford Taurus GL Sedan, rear right, 02-06-2023.jpg|thumb|left|1992 Ford Taurus GL Sedan, rear view]] [[File:2nd-Ford-Taurus-GL-wagon-rear.jpg|thumb|left|1992 Taurus wagon]] For 1992, the Taurus was available in three models; L, GL, and LX. As with the first generation, the L was the basic model, the GL was the mid-priced value model, and the LX was the luxury model. Due to disappointing sales, the L was dropped after 1992,<ref name = "TCCA" /> leaving the GL as the entry-level model. For the 1995 model year, a new SE model was added, intended to be a budget version of the [[Ford Taurus SHO|SHO]].<ref name = "TCCA" /> It was a step above the entry-level GL, a step below the top of the line LX, and came standard with front bucket seats and a center console with a floor-mounted shifter, as well as a rear spoiler borrowed from the SHO.<ref name = "TCCA" /> The SE was never available as a wagon.
The second generation also came in a modified [[police]] version. A police Taurus was a GL trim with the 3.8 liter Essex V6 engine that was slightly different from the regular Essex engine.<ref name = "Engines">{{cite web |url=http://www.taurusclub.com/encyclopedia/Engine/index.html |title=Ford Taurus engines |publisher=Taurus Car Club of America |access-date=2008-06-24 |archive-date=2009-01-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123223118/http://taurusclub.com/encyclopedia/Engine/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Output of the police Essex version was {{convert|15|bhp|abbr=on}} greater than the standard due to the addition of a dual [[exhaust system|exhaust]] muffler system, similar to that standard on the SHO; a Y-pipe was added after the resonator, which allowed for the split to both sides of the rear of the vehicle.<ref name = "Wolfe">{{cite web |url=http://www.denniswolfe.com/Taurus/Police.htm |title=Taurus's serving the community |publisher=Denniswolfe.com/Taurus |access-date=2011-05-18|url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123223118/http://taurusclub.com/encyclopedia/Engine/index.html|archive-date=23 January 2009}}</ref> Other changes included a larger [[fuel tank]], stainless steel [[brake line]]s, standard four-wheel disc [[brake]]s with [[anti-lock braking system|ABS]], a modified front grille fascia that had a slit to allow for increased airflow to the radiator, and a certified calibration {{convert|140|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} [[speedometer]].<ref name = "TCCA" /> Some were bought for [[speed limit enforcement]], with the anonymity of the car aiding in the role.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/12/nyregion/about-long-island-want-speed-lie-you-d-better-keep-sharp-eye-behind-you.html?pagewanted=all|work=New York Times|title=ABOUT LONG ISLAND; Want to Speed on the L.I.E.? You'd Better Keep a Sharp Eye Behind You|date=12 April 1992}}</ref> The Taurus police package didn't prove to be very popular, and it was often strongly outsold by Ford's own [[Ford Crown Victoria|Crown Victoria]].
When the 2.5 L [[Ford HSC engine|HSC]] [[Straight-4|four-cylinder]] was dropped in early 1991, along with the three-speed [[Ford ATX transmission|ATX]] [[automatic transmission]], all following second-generation Taurus models came standard with the 140 horsepower (104 kW) 3.0 L [[Ford Vulcan engine|Vulcan]] [[V6 engine|V6]], except for the LX wagon that came with a 3.8 L [[Ford Essex V6 engine (Canadian)|Essex]] V6. The Essex was optional on all other Taurus models. Every engine in this generation used the four-speed [[Ford AXOD transmission#AXOD-E|AXOD-E]] automatic transmission, until 1993, when it was replaced by the four-speed [[Ford AXOD transmission#AX4S|AX4S]] transmission, which was used for the rest of this generation's production run in most models. Some 1994–1995 3.0 L models came with the AX4N transaxle.
This generation Taurus was exported to Japan in limited numbers, and sold at Japanese auto dealerships called [[Ford Motor Company#Ford of Japan|Autorama]] (a joint venture with [[Mazda]]), where the Taurus SHO was the only model available in both sedan and wagon versions with left-hand driving positions until 1995. To Japanese buyers, it was regarded as a luxury vehicle as the exterior dimensions and engine displacement exceeded Japanese government [[Vehicle size class#Japan|regulations]], and buyers in Japan were liable for additional taxes.
==Variants==
===Mercury Sable=== [[File:2nd-Sable-GS.JPG|thumb|right|Second-generation Mercury Sable]] [[File:2nd-Mercury-Sable-rear.jpg|thumb|right|Second-generation Mercury Sable]] A redesigned Mercury Sable, a sister model to the Taurus aimed at a more upscale audience, went on sale alongside the Taurus in 1991. Like the first generation, the Sable shared all of the Taurus' mechanical components but had a unique body and interior. Similar to the Taurus, the second-generation Sable's design closely resembled the first-generation model, though the body and interior were almost completely redesigned and the new model was shorter than its predecessor; while the first generation Sable had an extended wheelbase, the redesigned model had the same wheelbase as the Taurus. The new model was still offered in GS and LS models in sedan and wagon bodies, a top-of-the-line LTS trim was offered on the sedan during the 1995 model year. Powertrains and most options were the same as the Taurus, though no counterpart of the Taurus SHO was offered. The Sable was produced concurrently alongside the Taurus through the 1995 model year.
In 1993, Ford Canada hand-built 40 Mercury Sables powered by [[Ford SHO V6 engine|SHO V6]] engines as part of their AIV (Aluminum Intensive Vehicle) program and released 20 to the public. Using aluminum suspension elements and aluminum body panels, held together with a spot welding process and adhesive joining process developed specifically for this vehicle, the end result was a car that was 400 pounds lighter than a SHO Taurus. In 1995, [[Multimatic Motorsports]] entered one of these vehicles in the [[One Lap of America]] event, finishing 15th overall and 1st in the Mid-Priced Sedan class.<ref name="SHOSable">{{cite web|url=https://jalopnik.com/5524154/fords-super+rare-taurus-sho+powered-aluminum-super+sable|title=SHO Sable|date=26 April 2010 |access-date=2010-08-08}}</ref><ref name="SHOSable2">{{cite web|url=http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/|title=SHO Sable|work=Autoblog |access-date=2010-08-08}}</ref><ref name="SHOSable3">{{cite web|url=http://www.onelapofamerica.com/event/ResultsIndex.do?eventId=12|title=1995 One Lap of America results|access-date=2016-04-05}}{{Dead link|date=November 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://multimaticmotorsports.com/history/race-history-1995/|title=1995|date=2011-05-23|website=Multimatic Motorsports|access-date=2016-04-05|archive-date=2017-04-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170410052201/http://multimaticmotorsports.com/history/race-history-1995/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Ford Taurus SHO=== {{Main|Ford Taurus SHO#Second generation (1992–1995)}} [[File:Ford Taurus SHO (second-gen) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Second-generation Ford Taurus SHO]] The second-generation Ford Taurus SHO was launched in the fall of 1991, along with the Taurus. Unlike the first generation, this SHO contained less aggressive body cladding, as well as a unique front end using parts largely borrowed from the Mercury Sable.<ref name = "TCCA" /> Like the Taurus and Sable, the SHO's drivetrain was carried over from the first generation. The only major change came on 1993s, when an automatic transmission became optional.<ref name = "TCCA" /> Automatic equipped cars got a slightly bigger engine with equal horsepower due to less aggressive camshafts.<ref name = "TCCA" />
==References and notes== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== {{commons category|Ford Taurus}} {{portal|cars}} *[http://www.taurusclub.com Taurus Car Club of America] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20061119023629/http://www.taurusclub.com/encyclopedia/G2/index.html Second Generation Taurus encyclopedia] {{Modern North American Ford vehicles}} {{Ford Taurus}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford Taurus (Second Generation)}} [[Category:Ford Taurus|2nd generation]] [[Category:Mid-size cars]] [[Category:Sedans]] [[Category:Station wagons]] [[Category:Front-wheel-drive vehicles]] [[Category:Cars introduced in 1991]] [[Category:Cars discontinued in 1995]]